Resetter for weft replenishing looms



Nov. 26, 1940.

R. G. TURNER RESETTER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Aug. 18, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Richard G.Turne.r

6A. 7 Attorney NOV. 26, 1940. R TURNER 2,222,994

RESETTER FOR W'EFT REPLENISHING LOOMS I Filed Aug. 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Inventor Rmhard -G.Turne.r

' Attor ey' R. G. TURNER 2,222,994

RESET'IER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING Booms Filed Aug. 18, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet a Inventor g/ib R'mh and GIm-ner mu f? Attorney Nov. 26, 1940.

RESETTER FOR WEF T REPLENISHING LOOMS R. G. TURNER Filed Aug. 18, 1938 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Inventov Richard G.Tur-ne.r-

Aiforney Patented Nov. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE RESETTER. FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Grompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 18, 1938, Serial No. 225,607

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing looms and it is the general object to provide improved mechanism for resetting the weft replenishing mechanism incident to an operation thereof.

In the usual bobbin changing multicolor loom the weft detector is located at the magazine side of the loom and upon indication of substantial weft exhaustion in the active shuttle effects a lifting of a vertical slide or the like which stores the indication for future use. If the depleted shuttle remains active the slide is lowered to set the magazine for transfer within two beats of the loom. This setting or initiation of transfer includes the lifting of a transfer latch into the path of a lay carried bunter and the placing of a shuttle feeler in shuttle detecting position. After transfer is initiated, therefore, the slide is back in normal position and cannot again call a transfer unless lifted by the feeler. Should the shuttle fail to be completely boxed on a transferring beat of the loom it will move the shuttle feeler and simultaneously take the latch out of the path of the lay bunter to revoke the transfer. Since the slide is now restored to normal position, that particular replenishing cycle is lost, and an entirely new cycle must be started by another indication by the weft-detector.

At least two picks of theloom intervene between indication by the weft detector and transfer due to the fact that the detector is on the magazine side of the loom. If the misplaced shuttle is so far out of the box that the detector shuttle will occur before it is replenished. If the weft detector is properly set to leave a minimum of waste yarn on the bobbin there will not be enough weft for these additional four picks without likelihood of stopping the loom through the filling stop motion.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide replenishing mechanism so constructed that once the indication of weft exhaustion is given by the detector the transferrer mechanism will make repeated efforts to effect transfer subsequent to revocation by theshuttle feeler without the necessity of a second indication by the weft detector. This result I may effect by employing a type of controller corresponding to the aforesaid vertical slide but arranged to remain in position to call or initiate transfer until reset by the tran'sfermechanism. g

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a train of mechanism toeffect transfer wherein there is located between the weft detector and the transfer mechanism a form of control for the transferrer which remains in set position after the transferrer latch has been set for transfer. My present invention differs markedly in this respect from previous weft replenishing mechanisms where the controller has been makes an intervening indication by the weft detector unnecessary.

In my co-pending application Serial No. l9 0,-,-

637 I have shown a pneumatic thread extractor to remove the thread extending from the selvage to the shuttle under'the magazine and including positioning means operated by the transferrer arm to move the extractor from its normal inoperative position to thread extracting position. The extractor operates on transferringbeats only of the loom and therefore becomes a part of the transferring cycle. It is a further object of my present invention to provide meansfor initiating repeated transfer cycles including the operation of the extractor from a single indication of the weft detector. As a further feature of this part of my invention I derive the. force for resetting the aforesaid controller from some part of the extractor, since both the extractor and the resetter operate in timed relation with the transfer mechanism and are dependent upon the latter and it is convenient because of the location of the extractor to use a connection from it to the resetter.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 shows a loom with a lay on front'center in which position the weft detector can initiate a replenishing cycle and wherein the preferred form of my invention is shown in the normal or non-operating position, I

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the replenishing mechanism shown in full lines asand with the shuttle shown misplaced widely.

enough to prevent operation by the weft detector,

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical section on line 44 the hook [9 out of the path of an operating of Fig. 3, v stud 30. Y I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line If; on the other hand, the upper box 3| is active 55 of Fig. 1, spring 32 will act to hold lever in its normal Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the type of loom by means of which my invention is illustrated in the present instance,

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of parts showing a modified form of myinvention combined with a thread extractor aridshown as though viewed from the left of Fig. 3,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation taken in the direction of arrow 9, Fig. 8

In the description'to follow I have illustrated my invention in connection with weft replenishing'r'nechariisrns shown in certain of my copending applications but I do not wish to have my invention limited to use with such inventions. The reserve bobbin magazine to be described is of the rocking type, but the invention forming the subject matter of this application is not restricted to this type of bobbin magazine. I also show recently developed means for setting and revoking .the magazine for transfer and have employed 'a type of color control for the magazine similar to that already extensively used on shuttle changing looms, butmy present invention is not confined in. its utility to use with these particular mechanisms.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the magazine M rocks about a fixed pivot 18 and has front and rear bobbin chutes II and 12, respectively. 'The magazine is normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the lowest bobbin of the front stack under a transferrer arm [3 pivoted on a fixed stud M. The magazine retains this position during a shifting of the shuttle boxes G at the opposite end of, the loom shown in Fig. 6 until replenishment is called,rwhereupon its position will be determined by the active shuttle. As shown herein there will be two weaving shuttles S and S2 either one of which may be active for as long 7 a period as desired and under control of any one ofthe' well-known box pattern mechanismsnot shown. If shuttle S2 correspondingto the weft in-the front stack is to be replenished, the magazine will remain as shown in Fig. 1, but if shuttle .3 corresponding to the bobbins in the rear stack .is empty, the magazine will be rocked to place the lowest shuttle of the rear stack under. the

,transferrer arm as shown in Fig. 2. v

The mechanism for rocking the magazine includes a rod l5 pivoted to theupper part of the magazine and attached to lever mechanism-l6 moving about a fixed pivot I1 and actuated by a depending rod I8 provided with a hook I9. The hook passes through and has its position determined by an'oscillatable lever 28 pivoted at 2| on a fixed bracket 22 secured to a station'ary's'tud sheavefl, see Fig. 6, to a connection 28 with the box mechanism G. The rising and'falling motions of the shifting shuttle boxes at the left hand side ofthe loom are therefore communicated to the lever 28 and when the bottom box 29 is raised to picking position opposite the shuttle race R,

connection will be pulled to swing lever 28 to the' right as viewed in Fig. 1 and thereby move of a loom 9 adjustable bracket 48.

which transfer may be left hand position to place hook [9 under the stud 30. Under these conditions downward motion of said stud 38 will depress the hook and cause rocking of the magazine in a right hand direction asviewed in Fig. 1 to place the bottom bobbin of the rear stack under the transferrer arm. Certain features of the magazine not directly concerned, with the present invention have been omitted and reference may be had to copending application Serial No. 129,245 for further details of the construction and operation of the magazine. v

The aforesaid stud 30 is nio'unted on 2. normally stationary lever pivoted loosely on the stud 23 and normally held in its down position partly by gravity and partly by spring 36. The forward end of the lever, at the left of Fig. 1, carries a lifting stud 31 attached to a yieldable rod head 38 having front and back members 39 and 40, respectively, held together by a spring'4l. These elements 39 and 40 are normally connected to thestud 31 as shownin Fig. 1 so that up motion of the forward end of lever 35 will cause rising of the head 38 and a corresponding up motion-of setting rod 42. I

The upper end of rod 42 is connected as at 45 to asetting lever 46 pivoted as at 4'! to a fixed The lever 45 carries a latch liftingfinger 50 disposed under the transfer latch 5! pivotally connected as at 52 to the transferrer arm l3. The upper end of the setting lever 46 carries a shuttle feeler 53 by means of revoked by a misplaced shuttle. c 1

The mechanism for resetting lever 46 and parts moving'therewithmay be the same as set forth in my .co-pending application Serial No. 192,783. The resetting is accomplished briefly as follows:

When theinitiated transfer is revoked by engagement of a misplacedshuttle with the shuttle feelenthe lever 45 is moved from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, thereby depressingrod 42 and-moving the transfer latch out fer. Before another transfer can be initiated it is necessary to reestablish connections between 'rod'42 and lever 35. Withthe particular type of magazine shown it is necessary that thecam 51 exercise its control throughout'the transferring interval so that the'magazine cannot start a rocking motion while the transfer arm is down. The

cam shown" in Fig. 2 accomplishes this result by means of dwell 58. The stud 31 is therefore in raised position during revocation of transfer and the redhead 38 assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.2. After'the necessity for maintaining the magazine in proper position has passed the left end of lever 35 is lowered by cam action andthe stud 31 moves down relatively to the head to reestablish driving connection between said stud and the head 38. A stop screw 59 arrests motion of lever 46 before stud 31 has reached its lowest po sition, thereby permitting is reached in the next loom cycle for initiating transfer :the rod 42 can again be raised.

In order that lever 35 may be rocked to shift the magazine if necessary and set lever 45 for 'of the path of the lay bunter to prevent trans- I transfer I provide a regularly moving actuator lever 55 pivoted on the stud 23 which carries an operating, roll 55 drivenby a grooved cam 51 which acts to lift the forward end of lever 55 once every two picks of the loomand at a'time which will set the magazine for transfer prior to the arrival of lay L in its foremost position on a transferring beat of the loom.

The controlling connection between levers 35 and 55 includes a lifting dog 55 having a. shoulder 6| and pivoted to lever 55 and normally rising in a plane to one side of a lifting lug 62 on the lever 65. The regular actuation of lever 55 therefore has no effect on lever 35 on non-transferring cycles of the loom, but when a transfer is called or initiated dog 66 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 5 so that it will be under the lug 52 and lift the lever 35 during rising motion of the forward end of lever 55.

The controlling mechanism for the dog includes a pair of controllers or fingers 65 and 65 each having a head 63 pivoted to a rod 61 carried by a sliding frame 68 mounted on guide rods 69 supported by the lever 35. Each member 55 and 56 is connected to a yielding locking plunger '15 surrounded by a spring H and passing through a part of the frame 68 as shown in Fig. 5. The

effect of the rocking plunger and its spring is to hold the members 65 and 65 in either of their extreme angular positions. Normally the controllers will be in the position of member 65 as shown in Fig. 5. v

Each controller carries a lifting latch i3 which can be positioned over a lifting finger-M- on' a setter l5 movable pivotally about rod 15. The member 15 is connected by a link 77 to the core 18 of a solenoid 19 supported by the lever 35.

The solenoid is controlled by a weft detector designated generally at D, Figs. 1 and 3,'having two pins 85 and Bi normally insulated from each other but adapted to be connected electrically by a ferrule 82 on the bobbin 83 in the shuttle to be replenished. The pins and 8| are connected, respectively, to wires 84 and 35 one of which leads to a source of power 85 and the other of which leads to the solenoid 15. A wire 87 connects the other side of the source of power to the other side of the solenoid. So long as the detector pins engage a suflicient supply of weft in the shuttle they will be insulated from each other and the solenoid will remain unenergized but at substantial exhaustion of weft the ferrule will be uncovered to connect the detector fingers, whereupon current will flow in the circuit indicated in Fig. 2 to energize the solenoid T5 the efiect of which is to lift the link Ti and elevate the setting finger M.

The setting finger M can operate but one of the latches l3 at a time because of a control exercised over the latches l3 and the controllers B5 and 66 to which they are connected by means of the lever 25. The latter is connected by a rod 85 to the sliding frame 58 to move the latter and place one or the other of the latches l3 over the finger l l. As shown in Fig.2 the rear latch 65 is in alignment with finger M and corresponds to the rear stack of reserve bobbins in the'magazine and the shuttle S in the top shifting shuttle box trollers 65 or 66 at a time, and by the member.

which has been moved to the indicating or conanarm 94 pivoted to the transfer stud M.

trolling position illustrated for member 55 in Fig. 5. During rising motion of the dog its shoul- 65 in Fig. 5, has no effect on the dog 65 and like wise should the frame 68 be shifted so that the controller 65 in indicating position is out of alignment with the shoulder 6|, the dog willrise without being directed toward the lifting lug 62. The

only time that the dog is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 5 is when one or another of the members has been moved to indicating position and is in alignment with shoulder 92. For a furtherunderstanding of the mechanism set forth in Fig. 5 reference may be had to Patents Nos.

' 2,054,174 and 2,054,192.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described the boxes G will shift vertically torender one or the other of thboxes 29 or 3! active so that the shuttle carried thereby will be picked to the right hand or magazine side of the loom as viewed in Fig. 6. With each shift of the boxes there will be'a rocking of lever 25 and a longitudinal sliding motion of frame 68 with respect to the-lever 35 and there Will also be a change in the relation between hook l5 and stud 35, all of these changes being effective through the flexible connection 25. So long as the weft in the active or running shuttle is sufficient for continued weaving it will engage the detector pins 80 and BI without connecting the latter electrically and the solenoid will remain unenergized. When an exhausted shuttle is presented to the detectormechanism, however, the pins will be connected electrically and the previously, described results accomplished through the energization of the The mechanism thus far described and its operation may be as set forth in the aforesaid copending applications and patents. It is to be understood that forward motion of the lay will cause engagement of its bunter with the latch 51 to depress the transferrer lever Hi from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be obvious that some provision must be made for resetting the controllers 65 and 66 after they cause a transfer and mypresent invention this resetting.

In carrying my invention into effect I pivot a lever 56 to the loom frame as at 9! and extend the same forwardly to support aroll 92 for engagement with an inclined plate 53 carried by In order to connect the transferrer arm and the arm 54 I provide a bolt which extends througha spacing collar 95 engagingadjacent surfaces of the transferrer arm and the arm SM, see Fig. 4.

Nuts 91 may be used to tighten the arms l3 and 94 against the collar 95, thereby causing these parts to move together as a unit.

,It will be seen from the description already given that down motion of the transferrer arm will lower the plate 93 withcorresponding descent of lever 90 against the action of a spring 90 which normally holds the lever raised.

A two-part rod I 00 is connected to the lever 90 as at IOI and is adjustable as to length by means of turn-buckle I02. The lower part of the rod passes through a guide I03 mounted on the loomside. A stop collar I 04 having its longitudinal position along the rod determined by a set screw I05 engages stop I03 to limit upward motion of the rod I00 and lever 90. The normal position of the lever 90 is up as shown in full line position of Figs. 1 and 2 so that the lower end of rod I00 is above the controllers 65 and 66 and their latches I3.

When a transfer occurs stud 95 will cause low ering of plate 93 and roll 92 to push rod I00 down against head 63 of the indicating finger which has been set for controlling relationship with the dog 60. The rod I00 moves in a line to one side of the pivot 61 for the controllers and therefore exerts a force tending to move the controller it engages in a left hand direction as viewedin Fig.

5. In that figure descent of the rod I00 will cause the latter to engage the head 63 of controller 65 and as the rod moves to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 controller 65 will be swung in a counter-clockwise direction to the position illustrated for controller 66. The spring plunger I0 will thereafter serve to hold the reset controller out of the path of the shoulder BI, It will be understood of course that either of the controllers 65 or 66 will remain in indicating position so long as rod I00 is in its normally raised position,

vThe advantage of the invention just described over those heretofore employed will be understood by reference to Fig. 3, where it is assumed that the magazine has been set for transfer as already described but the shuttle has failed to be properly boxed, and is misplaced so widely that the detector fingers and BI cannot enter slot I06 in the front wall of the shuttle. Under these conditions the detector cannot give an indication of weft exhaustion and forward motion of the shuttle feeler by the shuttle will rock the setting lever 46 in a left hand direction as viewed in Fig. 2 from the full to the dotted line position, thereby lowering the transferrer latch 5| out of the path of the hunter on the lay to prevent transfer.

The transferrer will be maintained raised in its normal position by the usual spring I01 and rod I00 will not be depressed. The controller which had directed dog 60 under lug 62 will remain in indicating position and on the next up motion of the forward end of lever 55 in the following transfer cycle rod 42 will again be raised to set the magazine for transfer despite the fact that the weft detector has not been able in the meantime to give a second indication of weft exhaustion. This last named feature represents an important departure of my present invention over prior practice, As heretofore made multicolor bobbin changing looms reset the magazine whenever a revocation occurs, requiring the detector to give another indication two picks after the position shown in Fig. 3 before another transfer cycle can be started, after which two additional picks will be necessary because of the fact that the detector is on the magazine side of the loom. Prior mechanisms require four picks of the shuttle subsequent to the condition shown in Fig. 3 before transfer can occur, but in my present invention only two picks are needed and the danger of thebunch becoming exhausted to effectloom stoppage through the filling stop motion is greatly reduced. r

As previously stated I- may combine the aforesaid resetter'for the controller with a pneumatic thread extractor of the type set forth for instance in my co-pending application Serial No. 190,637 and as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this modification shown in those figures I retain the general feature of resetting the controller by some part which moves on a transferring beat of the loom but include in the transferring cycle a thread extractor which will ordinarily operate somewhat later in the cycle than the transferring mechanism'but which should not operate unless there has already been a transfer. In carrying this modification of my invention into effect I provide a fixed stand I I0 carrying a stud III on which is mounted a fixed disk I I2 and a movable disk II3 between which is located a friction disk II4, A nut II5 clamps the disks together to constitute a frictional support for a rod I I6 which moves with the movable disk. This rod carries at its forward end a head I ll through which vertically extends a hollow thread extractor tube II8 the lower end of which is provided with a thread notch I I9 to be located nor- 'mally behind the weft W extending from the selvage to the shuttle under the magazine. The notch leads to a mouth I20 into which the thread is drawn when a vacuum is set up in the tube I I8 by'a pump I2I, The latter is operated by a connection I22 from the lay L to cause a partial vacuum'in flexible tube I23 connected to tube IIB during backward motion of the lay subsequent to transfer, 'A thread accumulator I24 may be interposed in the tube I23 if desired.

The head II'I supports a roll I30 to be engaged by a shelf I3I on the transfer arm I26 when the latter descends to move the rod I I6 and tube I I8 around the stud I I I as a center. It is to be understood that the rod I I6 is normally raised so that the end of tube I I8 clearsthe lay, but upon transfer the shelf I3I depresses the head and forward end of the rod to lower the mouth I20 from its normally raised non-extracting position to the down extracting position. This part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 7. and 8 may be as set forth in the aforesaid co-pending application Serial No. 190,637 to which reference may be had for further details of construction and operation.

In-utilizing the thread extractor to operate my present resetter I provide a lever I40 moving about a fixed pivot MI and having a roll I42 to enter-the forked end of an arm I43 moving with and supported by the movable disk. A second arm I50 fixed to the pivot I M is attached to a depending rod I5I which corresponds to rod I00.

This rod I5I may be adjusted and guided as is rod I00. The movable disk has an upwardly extending arm I45 on which is mounted an adjustable screw I55 which engages the lay when the latter moves rearwardly after downward motion of the extra.ctor. The motionderived by the :screw from the lay is sufficient to elevate the extractor to its normally inoperative or non-exclockwise direction around stud I4I as viewed in Fig. 7 to move lever I 40 to the dotted line position of that figure, whereupon force will be transmitted to rock the shaft MI and lever I50 in a In the modification the resetting of the con- 1 troller occurs at the same time as in the preferred form, but return of the resetting rod to its normally raised position occurs somewhat later and when the lay is on back center. This delay is of no consequence inasmuch as the rod 55! is raised before the controller can again be positioned by the solenoid. It will also be underpneumatic extractor may be in conjunction with a shifting shuttle box weft replenishing loom, but it is to be noted that the setting of the controller, the initiation of transfer, the completion of transfer, or revocation thereof, and ultimate resetting of the controller can all take place while a single shuttle is active and for this reason certain features of my invention are not essentially restricted to a multicolor loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for resetting the indicating parts 'of weft replenishing mechanism to normal position by a connection from the transferrer arm. While I have shown a particular means for 0 returning the controllers 65 and 66 to normal position actuated by the transferrer arm, yet I do not wish to be limited to this construction inasmuch as it is sufficient if the condition which effects resetting of these controllers is made de- 45 pendent upon operation of the transferrer arm. It will further be seen that my present invention acts in such a way that a single indication of I weft exhaustion by the detector will maintain the automatic features in condition to call for 50 transfer repeatedly without requiring an intervening or repeated indication by the weft detector. This last feature greatly reduces the likelihood that the loom will stop due to complete exhaustion of the weft onthose beats of the loom 55 when transfer is revoked by a shuttle so widely displaced that the weftdetector cannot give a second indication. It will'further be seen in the modification that I have also combined the transfer mechanism and the resetter for the controller 0 with a pneumatic thread extractor, the latter supplying the requisite force to operate the resetter for the controller and by its nature being closely associated with the transfer mechanism and forming a part of the replenishing cycle of 65 the loom.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven- 0 tion and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve bobbin to be inserted into the shuttle, transfer mechanism to insert the reserve bobbin 75 into the shuttle, a weft detector to indicate substood that the control exercised through the stantial exhaustion of weft in the shuttle, a controller for the transfer mechanism, means actuated by the weft detector tomove the controller from idle to working position when the weft detector indicates exhaustion of weft in the shuttle, retaining means to hold the controller in working position, means controlled by the controller when the latter is in working position to cause the transfer mechanism at a given point in each cycle of the loom subsequent to movement of the controller to working position to attempt to insert the bobbin into the shuttle, p-reventer means controlled by a misplaced shuttle to prevent operation of thetransfer means, said retaining means holding the controller in working position subsequent to action of the preventer means and thereby enabling the controller to cause the transfer means to make another attempt to transfer the bobbin, and means operated by the ransfer mechanism to return the controller to idle position upon operation of the transfer mechanism. 1

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin to be inserted into a shuttle, transfer mechanism effective upon a complete operation thereof to insert the bobbin into the shuttle, a controller for the transfer mechanism movable from normal to indicating position upon occurrence of weft exhaustion in the shuttle, means controlled by the controller when the latter is in,

transfer mechanism if the shuttle is properly boxed, revoking means to prevent complete'operation of the transfer mechanism if the shuttle is misplaced, means to hold the controller in indicating position subsequent to an operation of the revoking means, whereby the controller when in indicating position will repeatedly initiate an operation of the transfer mechanism at said regularly recurring intervals until said means to complete the operation of the transfer mechanism gives the latter a complete operation, and means operated by the transfer mechanism to move the controller from indicating to normal position only when the transfer mechanism has a complete operation. s

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin to be inserted into a shuttle by transferrer mechanism; a. weft detector, a controller normally in idle position, means controlled by the detector to move the controller to working position when the detector indicates weft exhaustion, a shuttle position feeler normally in non-feeling position, operating means for the transfer mechanism normally in non-operating position, an actuator controlled by the controller and having regularly recurring actuating strokes, setting means to be connected to the actuator by the controller when the latter is in working position on each actuating stroke of the actuator to move the shuttle position feeler toshuttle feeling position and place the operating means in position to operate the transfer mechanism, a misplaced shuttle moving the shuttle position feeler from shuttle feeling to non-feeling position and moving the operating means for the transfer 'mecha- 

